Instigating the Assassin Underclassman

This is the Federation, the United States of America.

That illegal law enforcement agency, which doesn’t even deserve a name, is also an international organization, created by the Security Council. But, on the surface, it’s not even as good as Interpol.

At the very least…

Interpol has legitimate law enforcement authority on federal land, but S.H.I.E.L.D. has none. The federal constitution doesn’t grant S.H.I.E.L.D. any enforcement powers within the Federation.

S.H.I.E.L.D. can act tough elsewhere, and Lake won’t interfere, or if they meet Lake and act submissively, Lake won’t care. But to act so brazenly in front of Lake, and even try to socially destroy him?

Heh.

When has Lake ever backed down from anyone in this life?

This time, not only will I kill your people, but I’ll also destroy your nest.

Lake’s eyes turned cold.

The next second.

Lake returned to normal, pocketed his cigarette butt, patted David’s shoulder, and then turned to leave the stairwell.

After Lake left, David sighed and made a call.

"David."

"You never told me you had plotted against him before."

"…"

"I can’t help with this."

After saying this, David hung up directly. He could help, but there was no need. He worked for the Federation, not the Security Council. If helping would be detrimental to him, then there was no point in helping.

S.H.I.E.L.D. New York Operations Center.

After hanging up the phone, Coulson re-entered the office and said to Nick Fury and Victoria Hand, who were sitting inside, "It seems Lake Edwin already knows Agent Eighty-Three is one of ours."

This was simply a nightmare.

Initially, Nick Fury thought Lake was just someone with strength but no significant background. He didn’t expect that after making a move, he would discover Lake was a porcupine.

And unlike ordinary porcupines, this porcupine was always on edge.

Not only did they not get any "meat," but they felt like they had provoked their lifelong enemy.

Lake’s background was General Thaddeus Ross, one of the current military’s big three.

He also had unclear ties with the elusive Black King, a hitman who, despite not taking many contracts, had been very active last year and this year. Most importantly, Lake’s ruthlessness was something they never anticipated.

He broke up with his ex-girlfriend one moment, and the next, he sent a bullet her way.

It’s been almost half a year, and it seems like the resentment will last forever.

"On what grounds did he detain her?"

"Identity forgery."

"This involves national security?"

"An arrest warrant signed by Laura Birch of the New York Court."

"And our people?"

"Still in the hospital, undergoing emergency treatment."

After listening to Phil Coulson, Nick Fury fell silent for a moment, then stood up and walked outside. "I’m worried Lake Edwin will target our agent bases. Connect me to Director Pierce. We absolutely cannot let Agent Eighty-Three fall into his hands."

S.H.I.E.L.D.’s establishment of agent bases was known to the Security Council, and they tacitly approved.

But…

Tacit approval didn’t mean agreement. At the very least, if Agent Eighty-Three were to reveal her experiences and they spread, it would be a disaster. An orphan trained as an agent from childhood – if this matter came to light, the Security Council would absolutely deny it.

New Amsterdam Hospital.

In the hospital room.

Megan Walsh, who had been drugged unconscious, slowly opened her eyes. As soon as she opened them, her head throbbed, and she couldn’t help but cry out. When she reached to touch her head, she found her right hand was handcuffed.

What?

"You’re awake?"

Megan Walsh looked up at Lake, who was standing at the foot of the bed with his arms crossed, and frowned. "Who are you?"

Lake looked down, took out his identification from his waist, and said, "Department of Homeland Security, Assistant Supervisor of New York Operations, Senior Federal Special Agent, Lake Edwin."

Megan Walsh felt a little guilty. "I don’t know you."

Lake smiled. "But I know you."

Saying that.

Lake began to recount the information he had on Megan Walsh, one by one.

He wanted to play a slow game.

But time was of the essence.

After S.H.I.E.L.D. found no hope in seeking help from David, they would definitely look for other assistance. After all, although S.H.I.E.L.D. didn’t have federal law enforcement authority, Washington knew about S.H.I.E.L.D. Even though the Constitution didn’t stipulate S.H.I.E.L.D. had law enforcement power, Washington tacitly acknowledged it.

Who knew what the next step would be.

Time waited for no one.

Lake had to nail this case shut completely before anyone came to take Megan Walsh away.

Megan Walsh wasn’t some cold-blooded killer. At the very least, a competent killer wouldn’t be so naive as to prefer school over killing. In that regard, Megan Walsh was easy to break.

Lake walked to Megan Walsh’s hospital bed, sat in a chair, and smiled, "I’ve always preferred to be direct, so you only get one chance. Interested in a deal?"

Megan Walsh didn’t speak. She was still reeling from the shock of the information Lake had revealed.

Lake spoke directly, "Give up the organization behind you, where they are, what they do, and I can give you a letter of immunity. You want to experience life as an ordinary person? No problem. Under the federal witness protection program, you can live peacefully in a small town with few people, attending your school. If you don’t want that, I’ll personally fund your cosmetic surgery in Korea. After you’ve changed your appearance, I’ll give you legal federal documents. As long as you’re under supervision, I guarantee no one will bother you."

Lake was capable of providing a letter of immunity.

Even if the Attorney General was unwilling, Lake could always ask Karen for help. Karen was a federal prosecutor and had a good relationship with the Secretary of State. Getting a letter of immunity from the White House wouldn’t be difficult.

Megan Walsh wasn’t within his scope of accepted jobs, so he couldn’t earn that million dollars. He could only vent his frustration over the million-dollar loss elsewhere.

After a long pause.

Megan Walsh opened her mouth, "I don’t know what you’re talking about."

The terror of the organization behind her led Megan Walsh to choose to back down. If she wasn’t afraid of the organization, she would have faked her death to escape directly rather than openly betraying the organization.

Lake wasn’t angry.

This was a common trait among those in organizations. Almost everyone raised by an organization felt their organization was incredibly powerful, capable of confronting heaven above, earth below, and even the Security Council in between.

But in reality?

As long as an organization wasn’t operating in the open, they were paper tigers, easily defeated. When the federal army roared in, which illegal organization would dare to confront them head-on?

Lake chuckled and lowered his head, "Do you think we have no way to deal with the organization behind you?"

Megan Walsh didn’t speak, but her expression clearly conveyed that sentiment.

Lake asked, "Does your organization have a bald, dark-skinned person with an eyepatch, someone who, in medieval times, could only be a pirate slave but dresses himself up as a pirate?"

Megan Walsh blurted out, "Hardman?"

Lake raised an eyebrow.

Hardman?

Who was that.

Oh, oh.

Lake’s mind raced, and he understood. This Hardman must be a pseudonym for Nick Fury. It was normal for people in the underworld to have a few fake names.

Didn’t he also have a few pseudonyms?

It was normal.

Lake then nodded, "Then what if I told you that, if I’m not mistaken, this Hardman should have left the organization behind you for a while, and only returned about half a year ago. Do you want to know why?"

Megan Walsh looked at Lake with a bit of a daze.

It seemed…

This person understood her organization even better than she did.

Because, as Lake had said, Hardman had disappeared for several years and only returned about half a year ago to take over the training and mission work for the assassin academy.

Although Hardman told Megan Walsh and the others that they were being trained as agents, everyone, including Megan Walsh, understood that it was an assassin academy.

Lake smiled, "Do you want to know why?"

As he said this.

Lake didn’t wait for Megan Walsh’s reply and directly stated, "It’s because Hardman was demoted. The reason? He tried to assassinate me, and he failed."

He tried to make me socially dead.

This wasn’t assassination, but it was worse in nature than assassination.

Senator Stern, although dead, was still alive. As for Lake, S.H.I.E.L.D.’s previous approach was to make Lake appear alive but effectively dead.

Lake looked at Megan Walsh and said, "I’ve told you the reason, and I’ve told you the treatment if you cooperate. Now, I’ll tell you what treatment you’ll face if you don’t cooperate."

Megan Walsh looked at Lake.

"First, you will be formally charged with illegal entry. You will go to court, and I guarantee your photos will appear in major media outlets and newspapers, as well as prominent positions on the internet."

"Second, you will undoubtedly be deported. Then, that Hardman will find you. After that, you understand your organization better than I do, so you know what you’ll face. I don’t need to say it."

Lake calmly explained to Megan Walsh the consequences of her non-cooperation.

This wasn’t a scare tactic.

Lake was truly capable of doing it.

Megan Walsh was just a girl not yet eighteen years old. Upon hearing Lake’s calm explanation, she immediately shook her head, "No, I can’t do that."

Lake smiled, "Then cooperate with me."

Megan Walsh fell silent.

She was torn.

After a moment.

Lake stood up, making a move as if to leave.

"Wait."

"I’ve made up my mind."

Lake turned around and looked at Megan Walsh on the bed, who was trying to keep him there. He said expressionlessly, "There’s only one chance. If you say yes, I’ll give you the immunity deal. Whether you want the federal witness protection program or to get plastic surgery and a new identity in Korea, I can agree to it."

Megan Walsh opened her mouth, seemingly having made up her mind, her heart beating faster. "You promise?"

Lake nodded. "The immunity deal you want, I can get it for you right now."

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